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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hand — help
  3. current — of water
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — happening now
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. club — a group
  16. present — there
  17. row — to paddle
  18. club — for dancing
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — a gift
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. present — the time now
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com